8 August 15 • 2019
jn
I
t’
s not often one gets to read his own
obituary.
But that’
s kind of how it felt after
The New York Jewish Week reported on
my plan to step down as
editor and publisher on
Sept. 30.
I’
ve received a number
of notes from colleagues
in the Jewish community
that have touched me
deeply. Many of them
used the word “bitter-
sweet,
” saying they were
happy for me that I could relax a bit
more after almost a half-century of
dealing with daily pressures and weekly
deadlines, but sorry to mark “the end of
an era.
”
Being on vacation and out of the
country these last couple of weeks has
given me the chance to stop and take a
breath, thinking back on the past and
ahead to the future.
So much has changed in journalism
over the years. Newsroom typewrit-
ers have been replaced by computers,
and news is reported and transmitted
instantly, not weekly. Unfortunately,
respect for the profession has declined
as it has been buffeted by financial chal-
lenges and bogus charges of “fake news.
”
Coverage of Jewish life has changed
dramatically, too. Jewish newspapers
used to read like a bulletin board
of communal activities and social
announcements supplemented by wire
service stories on Israel. Editors were
fearful of tackling issues close to home.
But with more probing coverage today of
the community, including its shortcom-
ings, come charges of digging too deep.
Of course, the Jewish world has
changed in a number of dramatic
ways since 1972, when I started out
as assistant editor of The Jewish Week-
American Examiner, a precursor to the
current publication. Back then the New
York Times had a reporter, Irving “Pat”
Spiegel, whose primary beat was to cover
the programs and conferences of orga-
nizations like B’
nai Brith, Hadassah and
the once-influential American Jewish
G
un violence in the United
States will continue to be an
issue until we can all agree
it is a national epidemic. Over the
last 35 years, we have experienced
some of the deadliest
mass shootings in
our country’
s history.
These senseless acts
of violence are taking
the lives of nearly
100 Americans each
day. As members of
Congress, we have a
responsibility to protect the people
of the United States; however, we are
dealing with an administration that
refuses to acknowledge that hateful
words have consequences.
This February, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed H.R. 8, the
Bipartisan Background Checks Act
of 2019, which establishes stricter
background check requirements for
firearm transfers between private par-
ties. However, Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell refuses to bring up
this bipartisan piece of legislation for
a vote in the U.S. Senate. As elected
members of Congress, we swore an
oath of office to defend the people
that we represent; however, Leader
McConnell refuses to consider bipar-
tisan legislation that is supported by
a majority of Americans. Enough
is enough — Americans across the
country are demanding gun reform,
and it is past time for Congress to act.
Young children go through active
shooter drills in school before many
even know how to read. Places of
worship, festivals and communi-
ty centers, long considered to safe
havens for Americans to enjoy, are
becoming targets for individuals
seeking to inflict mass casualties. For
far too long, we have been offering
“thoughts and prayers” to fami-
lies across the country affected by
unspeakable hatred. Gun reform is
necessary to protect the American
people. Every year, nearly 40,000 peo-
ple die from gun violence, and that is
40,000 people too many.
We have allowed the hatred
of domestic terrorism and white
supremacy to slowly tear away at
the moral fabric of our country. The
hateful rhetoric and lack of support
for gun control by the president of
the United States is normalizing
hatred that has no place in our soci-
ety. It will never be acceptable to
speak negatively about or physically
harm someone based on their gender,
race, sexual orientation or religion.
America was established as one
nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all. The citizens
of this country should matter more
than gun lobbyists and the National
Rifle Association.
In the last 10 years, we have seen six
of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S.
history. In 2017, 58 innocent festival
goers were killed at a concert in Las
Vegas, Nev. Many of these shooters
used assault weapons to carry out
their attacks, and I am proud to be a
co-sponsor of legislation that would
ban these dangerous weapons. These
semi-automatic firearms are military
grade and have no business on our
streets. Since the ban on assault weap-
ons lapsed in 2004, there has been a
significant increase in the number of
high-fatality shootings in this country.
We cannot allow our country to
be ripped apart by gun violence. No
family, no school and no community
should have to suffer through the
tragedy of a mass shooting in 2019.
As members of Congress, we
have an obligation to uphold the
Constitution and protect the people
we serve. When one community
experiences a mass shooting, our next
thought should not be “will we be
next?” Enough is enough. ■
Democrat Brenda Lawrence represents
Michigan’
s 14th District.
commentary
Enough Is Enough:
No More Thoughts and Prayers
commentary
The Ongoing
Challenge For A
Jewish Journalist
views
Rep. Brenda
Lawrence
Most Read on
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Media Sites
Each month, the JN will let
you know the stories that were
read most often on its web and
social media sites. If you missed
any, you can go to the
jewishnews.com and search for
them by title. Here’
s what
was most popular in July:
Top 10 on the Website
thejewishnews.com
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2. Neo Nazi Flyers Displayed in
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3. Charlevoix the Beautiful
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8. Society of Humanistic Judaism
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9. Ann Arbor Welcomes Jim Brady’
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10. Palace of Auburn Hills Set
for Demolition
Tops on Facebook
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homeless by bringing showers and
laundry with the Corner Shower and
Laundry
2. Police are investigating the shooting
of a 69-year-old man outside of a
Miami synagogue
3. BurgerIM boycott threats
4. Teen lifeguard saves small child
5. Oak Park native Josh Nodler drafted by
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Top Instagram Posts
1. Schmoozing with Jacob Zuppke
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Gary
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